


Fake

by TheOtherCourse (kanevixen)



Series: The Course of True Love Never Did Run Smooth [11]
Category: Actor RPF, British Actor RPF, Real Person Fiction, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Broadway, Competition, F/M, Fluff, Long-Distance Relationship, Long-Term Relationship(s), New York City, Reunions, Singing, Teasing, Tongue-in-cheek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-11
Updated: 2015-11-11
Packaged: 2018-05-01 02:07:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5188085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kanevixen/pseuds/TheOtherCourse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom and his long-distance, Broadway star girlfriend, Kristiane are reunited in New York after five months apart. Kristie takes Tom to her type of nightclub, and performs her type of teasing.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fake

**Author's Note:**

> You can hear a snippet of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIDj8vyrQWg - starts at the :20 mark
> 
> (Also performed by my face claim/vocal claim for Kristiane from the beginning of the video the song goes to about 1:30)
> 
> Excerpt from the lyrics for Feminity:
> 
> Femininity, femininity  
> I wish I’d never heard of femininity  
> Well, love has its place, of course,  
> And I’d like my share,  
> But now and then I’d like to come up for air!
> 
> Sociability, my sociability  
> Has made each asset seem a liability.  
> I give this man of mine  
> So much delight.  
> We star in a show where each moment is right  
> But why must every evening be an opening night?  
> Every time turns the light off  
> I keep wishing for a night off
> 
> Link for the lyrics are here: http://artists.letssingit.com/laura-osnes-lyrics-femininity-2qflrr8#axzz31YT1EUMi

“My, my, my, you are a gorgeous specimen. Can I give you my number after I show you the way to my apartment?” Aimee called to a surprised Tom.

I stepped in front of him before she could get her gorgeously manicured hands on him. She was one of those irritatingly perfect people, her hair always perfect, her makeup always complimentary, her clothes always trendy, and talented on top of all that perfection. Laughing easily at my friend, I said, “Nope, this one’s with me.”

I had a friendly rivalry with Aimee for the better part of five year, professionally. She and I had similar ranges and the same body type, although she was a few inches taller, not always an asset for ingénues. She was the better dancer, I the better singer. Where she excelled with dialects, I was better at emoting on cue. Ours was a complicated relationship until I landed a lead, and she was nominated for a Tony in a supporting role. Outside the auditioning for the same roles, we were really good friends.

“Diva K, how did you land this one?” she asked pulling me into an affectionate hug. The other gratingly annoying trait to describe Aimee, she’s also perfectly friendly and I adore the ever loving shit out of her.

“Aimee, this is my boyfriend, Tom. Tom, Aimee.”

“My God, you are a very tall drink of water and I’m parched,” she complimented shaking his hand.

“Aimee, you are far too generous, darling. Thank you,” Tom graciously accepted before slipping his arm back around my waist.

I breathed an inward sigh of relief that my constant competition with Aimee didn’t extend to Tom. She was gorgeous, forward and confident in her talent, her beauty and her effect on the opposite sex. She was between boyfriends at the moment, so she was on the hunt for the next one.

“British! With a voice and accent like that, you could talk me right out of my clothes, handsome.”

Doing my best to ignore her shameless play for Tom, I said, “He’s Terry’s best friend from London. They did A Midsummer Night’s Dream together.”

“Another performer? You’re all good in my book, handsome.”

My lover took his cue to reinforce our status by hooking his arm all the way around me, his hand possessively splayed along my stomach. I had nothing to worry about with Aimee, but more than that, it was a reminder of how we met. I flashed him a warmhearted smile over my shoulder, threading my fingers through his at my waist where he anchored me to him.

“He’s here… Terry’s here- he’s here already, asking for you, K. Did you kick him out of his own apartment?”

With a shrug, “Maybe. Maybe not. Where is he? He hasn’t seen Tom yet.”

Aimee reviewed a check-in sheet for the talent and waved nonchalantly over her shoulder. “Probably the bar. Are you singing tonight?”

I nodded. “If Chad needs me… we can do Elaborate Lives. I have a solo, something fun, if he wants a break.”

My friend made a note of it and said, “I’ve added you to the list. Have fun!”

As Tom and I turned into the entrance of the nightclub and down the steps into the place, I whispered, “Chad is Aimee’s Terry.”

“Do you all come in pairs?”

The stage area at the front of the room was elevated by only a foot, brightly illuminated by stage lighting focused on the piano, music stands and microphones. From across the sea of empty chairs at empty tables in the darkened atmosphere of the club with only electric candles lighting the audience area, I heard, “Pumpkin!”

I quipped dryly, “Found him!”

Tom intoned in my ear, “Kristie’s been summoned.”

I elbowed my boyfriend lightly and shot back, “He could be referring to you, pumpkin.”

Navigating through the small diamond shaped tables towards the bar in the back of the room, my eyes slowly adjusted to the muted light. I was in Terry’s arms within seconds, my best friend choosing me over Tom first. I could feel him shaking hands with my boyfriend behind me. Murmuring to me, he asked, “How are you, kitten? Still purring?”

Escaping his arms, I nodded enthusiastically, “Still the kitty on fire.”

Terry and Tom did that masculine happy slappy hug thing that men did to cover up their emotion at seeing one another again.

After drinks were fetched from the bar, we settled into a booth in the back for all three of us to sit for the performance as other performers and audience members began filling in the room. My boys abbreviated their catch up, snippets of things they’d not said on the phone, short enough to keep Terry’s interest. I greeted newcomers as they found me, letting Tom and Terry spend some time together.

My friend Donna, currently appearing as one of the ballet dancers in The Phantom of the Opera sought me for a big hug. With our arms around each other, she informed me, “Aimee’s fawning all over herself about Diva K’s British boyfriend.”

Scanning the almost full nightclub for Aimee’s head, I incredulously exclaimed, “She isn’t!”

“Oh, she is! I had to see for myself.” She pointed at the table behind me. “Is that him… with Terry?”

I nodded, excited to finally share him with the people I knew.

“Well done, girly. Not your usual type.”

The comment confused me as she’d only seen me date Scott, and she knew that ended badly. The offhand statement threw me off momentarily. I shook my head and changed the subject, “What are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be on stage? This isn’t your dark day.” Phantom cast members always had to skip out on these concert things, their schedule different from the rest of Broadway.

“You haven’t heard?”

“Heard what? I’m sorry. I haven’t. I’ve been so wrapped up in Tom’s visit. What’s up?”

Placing her hand on her stomach, she stated happily, “Brian and I are expecting. I’m on swing for the next two months or until I start showing or can’t fit my costume, whichever comes first.”

“Donna! That’s fantastic!”

She nodded, beamin, her pride and excitement written all over her face. “We’ve been married awhile, and we’ve wanted a baby.”

“I’m so happy for you. Is he still working at Carnegie Hall?”

Donna and I hurried through the rest of our conversation, shortening answers as the stage lights dimmed to begin the show. She slid into a table nearby and I returned to my boys.

*

“You all know her. You all love her. Help me welcome, Kristiane Taylor, star of Daddy Long Legs to the stage.”

I quickly kissed Tom and squeezed his hand before walking up to the stage to a very moderate applause. After performing the role for five months, it still felt surreal when I heard someone else say that I was the star of a Broadway show.  I approached the stage, biting my lip and muzzling the bloom of pride in my chest. I loved singing and performing for an audience, but tonight was different. Tom was in the house.

Chad kissed me on the cheek and took my hand, leading me one step over to center stage. “How are you, Kristie? I’m so glad you’re here.”

“I’m so glad to be here.”

“So tell me something…” he pitched to me easily.

“Something,” I quipped. I curtsied to the mild laughter in the club, the smattering of polite giggles faded quickly.

“I gave you that one, sweetie. So tell me… how do you always look so gorgeous?”

Comically I looked down at my current outfit of jeans and Daddy Long Legs t-shirt, the one I agreed to wear so the producers would let me sing publicly outside the theatre. “Dodge Theatre Productions provided the outfit, so my employment helps!”

“Sweetie, you could make a handkerchief look good.”

I laughed, picking up what he was laying down. It was a challenge to see if I could pick up his cues. He was changing our song on me on the fly. I winked at him to let him know that I was onto him and his trick. Slyly, he said setting the song up, “But… anything you can wear, I can wear better.”

Together, we continued the banter through song, Irving Berlin’s  _Anything You Can Do from Annie Get Your Gun_ , earning more laughs from the crowd. Chad and I had a chemistry together that we discovered on that tour a million years ago. It was so energizing to rekindle that sensation with someone I trusted so implicitly.

After that song, Chad asked me to stay on to do a song for the crowd while he downed another drink. I naturally agreed, hoping that he would let me monopolize his show for a number.

“Thank you so much, Chad. Give him another round of applause, ladies and gentlemen. Love you, Chad!”

When the clapping died away, I greeted the audience, “How’s everyone doing tonight?” I met with catcalls and more applause, the energy in the house high and alive. “Good, good… you’re all so lovely. So I have someone very special with me tonight. As some of you may or may not know, I’m lucky enough to have my boyfriend in town for the week.”

I stage whispered into the microphone, “I’d really appreciate if you clap really enthusiastically when I finish my song to convince him that you really like me.” Luckily my joke went over well and was received by the crowd. “Most of you are actors, aren’t you?” Another round of laughter.

“Anyway, my boyfriend and I are working through a long distance relationship. It’s tough when we’re separated, but incredible when we’re together. I love to give him a really hard time, because he takes it so well. With  ** _that_**  in mind, this is for him… Love you, Tom.”

I leaned over to the piano player to whisper the song and the key, confirming that he had the music in front of him. He gave me a swift nod. I looked out into the darkened room, trying to find Tom in the crowd. It was impossible to see beyond the row of tables right in front of the stage for the bright lights overhead. The pianist started my song with the first few bars. I covered my heart with my hand, and said, “For you!”

The gesture that Tom and I adopted when we were together, the gesture of our intimacy and what we meant to each other.

The song I chose was [Feminity, an unpublished, unknown musical theatre song that poked fun of innocence](http://artists.letssingit.com/laura-osnes-lyrics-femininity-2qflrr8#axzz31YT1EUMi). I performed it very tongue in cheek, wrapping the members of the audience around my finger. I was well rewarded with laughs and claps along the way, my humor landing just right.

When the song was over, I thanked the room for the reception. “Thank you all so much.” I blew kisses and curtsied multiple times. “I have a lot of groveling to do now with the boyfriend. Love you all, you’ve been so kind. Thank you! Come see Daddy Long Legs!”

I handed the mic off to Chad as I stepped off the stage, crossing back to my table. I slid in beside Tom, who only pulled me in for a passionate kiss, not taking my flippant song choice to heart, but as another flirtation.


End file.
